Inmate Pen Pal Scams & Safety

Be cautious if someone asks you for money quickly, tells an emotional story that always ends in a request, asks you to buy something from a specific website, or wants you to send money to a third person or an app account. Another warning sign is pressure to move the conversation to a private messaging app or to give out your home address, phone number or financial details.

If you choose to help someone financially, only use the facility's approved deposit service for their commissary or trust account. Never send cash, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or payments to a personal account. Our money guide explains the approved services. A sensible rule is to wait until you know someone well before sending anything, and to decide the amount in advance.

Use a P.O. box or a trusted return address if you do not want your home address on an envelope. Do not share your full name, workplace, social media accounts, children's details or daily routine in early letters. Remember that letters can be read by facility staff and that what you write may be shared.

Every state corrections department has a free inmate locator. Search the name and ID number to confirm the person is who they say they are and where they are held. Public records show the facility and, in most states, the conviction. If anything does not match what you were told, step back.

You can say no to a request at any time. You can stop writing, and you can mark mail as return to sender. A genuine pen pal will respect your boundaries. If someone gets angry when you decline to send money, that tells you what you need to know.